13. The creation of the United States Department of Agriculture
Early America’s largely agrarian society created demands for improvements in seeds, plants, fertilization, irrigation, and animal husbandry. The federal government created a division within the Patent Office in 1839 to address the needs. In 1862 Abraham Lincoln established the Department of Agriculture, though the department’s leading officer did not attain a seat in the President’s Cabinet. In 1887 the House and Senate approved legislation that approved Cabinet status for the Secretary of Agriculture, though the Congressional houses failed to pass the bill through a joint committee. Not until 1889 did the Secretary of Agriculture achieve Cabinet-level status.
The USDA’s role in the food chain for Americans increased throughout the 20th century. Tasked with inspection of food and processing plants to ensure purity and wholesomeness, the USDA eventually required truth in labeling regarding the nutritional content of foods, applied to all food and beverage products sold for consumption in the United States. The USDA also grew to provide direct nutritional support to financially distressed families, through programs such as food stamps, today referred to as SNAP, and supporting programs in which children receive much of their daily nutrition through the schools.